Starting a saltwater aquarium is a fantastic hobby, which gives you the chance to see an ecosystem up close and to gain a new appreciation of the spectacular fish and many other delicate creatures in our oceans. If you are setting up a salt water aquarium for the first time it is better to begin with a fish-only aquarium until you get more experienced with the in and outs of saltwater aquarium maintenance.
Choose the right tank size
It is common sense for you to begin your home salt water aquarium by choosing a tank that can look after properly. Although it is quite possible to buy saltwater fish aquariums with a tank capacity of less than 20 gallons, it is not recommended.
You have to consider how many fish you want to have in your aquarium when considering the size of the tank. As a rule, you should allow 3 to 5 gallons for each inch of fish capacity. For instance, if you had a ten-gallon marine tank then it would mean you could safely put two one-inch fish in it.
A good filtration system is of the utmost importance, so your salt water aquarium filter setup has to be right. Additionally, you will need a heater and thermometer, to maintain the recommended temperature of 78-80 degrees for tropical fish and a hydrometer, which is a piece of equipment that measures the salt content of the water in the aquarium.
Starter Salt Water Fish
When purchasing a saltwater fish it is important to take in a water sample for the store to analyze. A bacteria culture is crucial for cycling the aquarium. Bacteria can be added once the aquarium has been prepared meaning it has been de-chlorinated, heated to the right temperature, and salted to the proper level. This process may take just a few days bit sometimes it takes a week or more. When the water quality allows, you can then introduce your starter fish to the tank.
A great starter fish is the damselfish, because of their toughness and their ability to endure the conditioning period of the saltwater tank. Damselfish are classified into many genera and species including the domino damselfish, the blue chromis, and the anemone fishes also known as clownfishes.
The good points are that they are long-lived, not too fussy about their food, and are active, colorful and reasonably priced. But, before you start thinking they are the perfect saltwater aquarium fish, they do have one drawback. They are highly territorial and aggressive towards other species and their own kind even if the fish is much larger then themselves.
Protecting the Marine Environment
When choosing a fish for your salt water aquarium it’s important to consider where the fish you are buying comes from. This may not be that important when you are stocking your aquarium with the more common species of fish but most reef fish and coral are wild caught. It’s estimated that wild coral structures contain about 25 percent of the world’s marine life and many of them are being harmed by bad weather and stress.
Although wild marine life may be abundant for the time being, marine hobbyists have to be mindful that harvesting could soon begin to play a role in the destruction of such underwater beauty if it hasn’t already.
Until you become more experienced with setting up a saltwater aquarium, keep away from mini-reefs. However, if you finally decide you want to set up a reef tank, do your research first. They have different light requirements for different species and they are not as robust as they seem. But, once you have gained enough knowledge of marine animals and reef tank care then good luck with your saltwater aquarium hobby.
